Mycobacterium Totally Explained

Everything about Mycobacteria totally explained

Mycobacterium is a genus of Actinobacteria, given its own family, the Mycobacteriaceae. The genus includes pathogens known to cause serious diseases in mammals, including tuberculosis and leprosy. The Latin prefix "myco—" means both fungus and wax; its use here relates to the "waxy" compounds in the cell wall.

Microbiologic characteristics

Mycobacteria are aerobic and nonmotile bacteria (except for the species Mycobacterium marinum which has been shown to be motile within macrophages) that are characteristically acid-alcohol fast. Stains used in evaluation of tissue specimens or microbiological specimens include Fite's stain, Ziehl-Neelsen stain, and Kinyoun stain.'
   Mycobacteria appear phenotypically most closely related to members of Nocardia, Rhodococcus and Corynebacterium.
Ecological characteristics
Mycobacteria are widespread organisms, typical living in water (including tap water treated with chlorine) and food sources. Some, however, including the tuberculosis and the leprosy organisms, appear to be obligate parasites and are not found as free-living members of the genus.
Pathogenicity
Mycobacteria can colonize their hosts without the hosts showing any adverse signs. For example, billions of people around the world are infected with M. tuberculosis but will never know it because they won't develop symptoms.
   Mycobacterial infections are notoriously difficult to treat. The organisms are hardy due to their cell wall, which is neither truly Gram negative nor positive, and unique to the family, they're naturally resistant to a number of antibiotics that work by destroying cell walls, such as penicillin. Also, because of this cell wall, they can survive long exposure to acids, alkalis, detergents, oxidative bursts, lysis by complement and antibiotics which naturally leads to antibiotic resistance. Most mycobacteria are susceptible to the antibiotics clarithromycin and rifamycin, but antibiotic-resistant strains are known to exist.
Medical classification
Mycobacteria can be classified into several major groups for purpose of diagnosis and treatment: M. tuberculosis complex which can cause tuberculosis: M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum, and M. microti; M. leprae which causes Hansen's disease or leprosy; Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are all the other mycobacteria which can cause pulmonary disease resembling tuberculosis, lymphadenitis, skin disease, or disseminated disease.
Phenotypic testing
Various phenotypic tests can be used to identify and distinguish different Mycobacteria species and strains. Phenotypic testing of Mycobacteria
Mycosides
Mycosides are phenolic alcohols (such as phenolphthiocerol) that were shown to be components of mycobacterium glycolipids which are termed glycosides of phenolphthiocerol dimycocerosate (Smith DW et al., Nature 1960, 186, 887) There are 18 and 20 carbon atoms in mycosides A, and B, respectively.
Species

M. abscessus
M. africanum
M. agri
M. aichiense
M. alvei
M. arupense
M. asiaticum
M. aubagnense
M. aurum
M. austroafricanum
Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), is a group of species which are a significant cause of death in AIDS patients. Species in this complex include:

:M. avium
:M. avium paratuberculosis, which has been implicated in Crohn's disease in humans and Johne's disease in sheep
:M. avium silvaticum
:M. avium "hominissuis"
:M. colombiense
M. boenickei
M. bohemicum
M. bolletii
M. botniense
M. bovis
M. branderi
M. brisbanense
M. brumae
M. canariasense
M. caprae
M. celatum
M. chelonae,
M. chimaera
M. chitae
M. chlorophenolicum
M. chubuense
M. conceptionense
M. confluentis
M. conspicuum
M. cookii
M. cosmeticum
M. diernhoferi
M. doricum
M. duvalii
M. elephantis
M. fallax
M. farcinogenes
M. flavescens
M. florentinum
M. fluoroanthenivorans
M. fortuitum
M. fortuitum subsp. acetamidolyticum
M. frederiksbergense
M. gadium
M. gastri
M. genavense
M. gilvum
M. goodii
M. gordonae
M. haemophilum
M. hassiacum
M. heckeshornense
M. heidelbergense
M. hiberniae
M. hodleri
M. holsaticum
M. houstonense
M. immunogenum
M. interjectum
M. intermedium
M. intracellulare
M. kansasii
M. komossense
M. kubicae
M. kumamotonense
M. lacus
M. lentiflavum
M. leprae, which causes leprosy
M. lepraemurium
M. madagascariense
M. mageritense
M. malmoense
M. marinum
M. massiliense
M. microti
M. monacense
M. montefiorense
M. moriokaense
M. mucogenicum
M. murale
M. nebraskense
M. neoaurum
M. neworleansense
M. nonchromogenicum
M. novocastrense
M. obuense
M. palustre
M. parafortuitum
M. parascrofulaceum
M. parmense
M. peregrinum
M. phlei
M. phocaicum
M. pinnipedii
M. porcinum
M. poriferae
M. pseudoshottsii
M. pulveris
M. psychrotolerans
M. pyrenivorans
M. rhodesiae
M. saskatchewanense
M. scrofulaceum
M. senegalense
M. seoulense
M. septicum
M. shimoidei
M. shottsii
M. simiae
M. smegmatis
M. sphagni
M. szulgai
M. terrae
M. thermoresistibile
M. tokaiense
M. triplex
M. triviale
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC),members are causative agents of human and animal tuberculosis. Species in this complex include:

:M. tuberculosis, the major cause of human tuberculosis
:M. bovis
:M. bovis BCG
:M. africanum
:M. canetti
:M. caprae
:M. pinnipedii'
M. tusciae
M. ulcerans, which causes the "Buruli", or "Bairnsdale, ulcer"
M. vaccae
M. vanbaalenii
M. wolinskyi
M. xenopi
Databases on Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculist- Genome Annotation database (External Link)
MTB Sysborg- Genome Annotation database from the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (External Link)
TB Structural Genomics Consortium- Structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins (External Link)
MycDB - Mycobacterium database (External Link)Further Information
Get more info on 'Mycobacteria'.

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